Runners brave the undead in first Zombie Dash 5K at Kentuck Park

Monday

Oct 28, 2013 at 12:01 AM

As more than 100 people ran through Kentuck Park on Sunday evening, the sounds of shrieks and screams reverberated through the woods as “zombies” jumped out at runners. The run was part of the first Zombie Dash 5K, sponsored by Townsquare Media.

By Lydia Seabol AvantStaff Writer | The Tuscaloosa News

As more than 100 people ran through Kentuck Park on Sunday evening, the sounds of shrieks and screams reverberated through the woods as “zombies” jumped out at runners. The run was part of the first Zombie Dash 5K, sponsored by Townsquare Media. Participants had to run through special “zombie zones,” where actors dressed as bloodied zombies tried to grab flags pinned to the runners' shirts. The first person to cross the finish line with all three flags remaining won a $100 prize. “It was a little difficult, trying to get through the zombies, but it was a lot of fun,” said runner Katelynn Shamblin of Coker, one of the first people to finish the race. The “zombies” got all of Shamblin's flags. “I lost the last one about a mile out from the finishing line,” Shamblin said. Marine recruiter Shelton McCartney tied as the first person crossing the finish line. He said that he lost his flags when a runner tripped behind him, and he turned around to help. “I've never done this before — it was good,” McCartney said. About 150 people registered to race, many of them on the day of event, despite the rain, said event manager Brenda Ewart. She credited the popularity of zombie shows like “The Walking Dead” with piquing people's interest. Zombie dashes are being held across the country this month. “We are very, very pleased with the turnout,” Ewart said, adding that the event will become an annual 5K. Chris Williamson, an avid runner, ran in the event with his adult daughter. “It's something new, it's Halloween fun,” Williamson said. Jennifer Richardson of Northport also participated in the race as a family activity with her two kids, but in a different capacity: She, her 11-year-old son, Blaine, and her 7-year-old daughter, Kyra, were decked out in makeup and fake blood to look like zombies. “My 11-year-old watches 'The Walking Dead' and my daughter participates in the Main Avenue Mortuary (haunted house in Northport), so we were asked to come down today,” Richardson said with red, blood-like makeup across her face. The two kids compared how many flags they got from the runners — 7-year-old Kyra had the most.